United News of Bangladesh

Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Saturday said effective mediation could significantly reduce the backlog of around 4.5 million cases pending in courts across the country. Speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day Basic Mediation Training for Legal Professionals programme at Hotel InterContinental in the capital, the minister said mediation saves litigants time, money and mental distress while ensuring faster justice. The training was organised under the project titled Mediation and Civil Case Management System Development to Increase Access to Justice. Asaduzzaman said ensuring justice for the poor, marginalised, disadvantaged and victims of human rights violations remains one of the government's priorities. He said the Bangladesh Legal Aid Department has been working to deliver justice to people's doorsteps. He said mediators need not only legal knowledge but also humanity, wisdom, patience and the ability to build trust between disputing parties. In this regard, he encouraged participants to read the Japanese book Justice with a Smile, saying it would help them develop a more humane approach to dispute resolution. The minister said there is a common perception that lawyers are often reluctant to encourage settlements, but in reality they play an important role in many successful mediations and arbitrations both at home and abroad. He said a positive culture of negotiation-based dispute resolution is gradually developing within the legal profession and should be further strengthened. Describing mediation as beneficial for both parties, Asaduzzaman said prolonged court proceedings often consume years, financial resources and considerable effort, while also causing mental stress and other health problems. He said a culture of resolving most disputes through mediation should be promoted, except in cases involving murder and other serious cognisable offences. Under the project, the best-performing female and male mediators will receive advanced training in Japan, he said, expressing hope that the initiative would encourage mediators to perform their duties more efficiently, impartially, transparently and professionally. The minister thanked the Government of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Professor Miyatake Masako of Keio University Law School, and all others involved in the project. He also expressed hope that cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan would continue to grow and stressed the need to increase the number of direct flights between Dhaka and Narita.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman on Saturday said the proposed “Enforced Disappearance Prevention and Remedies Act” is in its final stage of preparation and is expected to be placed before the Cabinet shortly, with the government aiming to table the bill in the next session of parliament. Speaking to reporters after the closing ceremony of a two-day Basic Mediation Training for Legal Professionals programme at Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, the Minister said the draft law has undergone inter-ministerial scrutiny, consultations with stakeholders and review by the Secretaries' Committee. He said the government had announced during the first session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad that the draft law would be further reviewed and refined before being placed in parliament. Following multiple rounds of consultations and assessments, the draft has now been finalised and is awaiting Cabinet approval. On the proposed cyber law, the Minister said the government is working to formulate a modern and balanced legal framework that safeguards the constitutional right to freedom of expression while effectively addressing cybercrime, defamation, the spread of misinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies. He said the government does not want to rush the process and will finalise the law only after further scrutiny and consultations with relevant stakeholders. "The government does not intend to silence people or restrict freedom of expression. At the same time, it is committed to ensuring an effective legal framework to protect citizens' rights and reputations," he said.

Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Saturday warned that no one would be allowed to create obstacles to the country's nation building efforts, saying the government would act in the interest of the state and the people if necessary. "The era of fascist upheaval is over. Now is our responsibility to build the country," he said. Swapon said the government would first seek constructive and peaceful solutions to any problems, but would not hesitate to take necessary action if the country's interests were at stake. He made the remarks while speaking at a photo exhibition and discussion titled '15 Years of Fascism and the Mass Uprising of 2024' at Jatiya Press Club. The minister said young people possess courage and energy, but experience and wisdom are equally important. "There is no shame in admitting this. Those who fail to understand it risk a bleak future," he said. Swapon said Bangladesh had entered a new phase after the fall of fascism and stressed the need to strengthen democratic institutions and parliamentary culture. "When we want to practise democratic culture in a fascism-free Bangladesh and establish an effective parliamentary system, we see that some people prefer street politics over parliament," he said. He also alleged that some groups were trying to create disorder through social media and street agitation instead of contributing constructively to the democratic process. Swapon said the government was aware of attempts to create instability but would continue to respond responsibly and seek peaceful solutions.

Reports of two abandoned bomb-like objects found beneath the Mirpur-10 and Farmgate metro rail stations in the capital on Saturday morning triggered panic among people. Upon receiving the information, the respective police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), senior police officials and the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Division rushed to the scenes and strengthened security measures, said a DMP press release. The CTTC Bomb Disposal Unit responded immediately after receiving information about a bomb-like object at the Mirpur-10 metro rail station. An X-ray examination of the suspicious bag revealed the image of a canister-like object inside. Following the standard operating procedure (SOP), members of the Bomb Disposal Unit used a frangible disruptor to safely neutralise the suspected object. A subsequent inspection of the bag found that it contained a tin of chewing tobacco (zarda) and betel leaf. No explosives or other hazardous materials were recovered. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Mirpur Division) of DMP Farzina Nasrin said the Bomb Disposal Unit responded immediately after being informed about the suspected explosive. "After examination, it was found that the object was not an explosive. It was an empty zarda container," she said. Normal movement at the station resumed after the area was declared safe. Besides, suspicion arose over an abandoned sack in  Tejgaon Police Station area, prompting authorities to alert the Bomb Disposal Unit. The team quickly arrived at the scene, assessed the situation and ensured necessary security before conducting a manual inspection of the sack. The examination confirmed that the sack contained no explosives or any dangerous materials. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of city residents and urged the public not to panic over unverified reports of suspicious objects. Earlier, a crude improvised explosive device, locally known as a "chhata bomb," was recovered beneath the Motijheel Metro Rail Station on July 24. The bomb was later defused by the DMP Bomb Disposal Unit, and one passer-by was injured in the incident.

Four people were killed when a truck collided head-on with a pick-up van on Bogura-Naogaon highway at Kazipara in Kahalu upazila of Bogura district on Saturday. One of the deceased was identified as Lutfur Rahman, 50, a fish trader and son of Taiab Ali of Mymensingh district while the identities of others could not be known immediately. The accident occurred around 10 am when the Naogaon-bound goods-laden truck hit the pick-up van while overtaking a human hauler, leaving four people dead on the spot, said Shafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kahalu Police Station. On information, police and fire service men rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies. The bodies were sent to Bogura Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital. Police could not arrest anyone as the truck driver and helper of the driver were amanged to flee the scene.  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 431 people in its regular anti-crime drives across the capital over the past 24 hours until Saturday morning. Of them, 33 were arrested by the Ramna Division, 21 by Lalbagh Division, 48 by Wari Division, 34 by Motijheel Division, 48 by Tejgaon Division, 135 by Mirpur Division, 51 by Gulshan Division, 53 by Uttara Division, and eight by the Detective Branch (DB). Twenty-three cases were filed during the same period, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Niaz Mehedi said on Saturday morning. Police also recovered 82.500 kg of cannabis, 3256 Yaba pills, 175 bottles of Phensidyl, 494.12 grams of gold ornaments, one motorbike, one pick-up, one bus and five mobile phones. One victim was also rescued during this period. Further legal proceedings against the arrested people are underway, he said.  

Shu Xiong has been appointed as the President and Managing Director of Chevron Bangladesh, effective from August 1 (Saturday). Shu succeeds Eric M. Walker, who served Chevron Bangladesh for the last six years, said a press release issued on Saturday. Shu most recently served as Managing Director of Chevron’s China Business Unit, where she led the company’s upstream business and energy value-chain activities and built strong partnerships across multiple joint venture operations. Since joining Chevron in 2007, Shu has held senior leadership roles across strategy, forecasting, trading, operations and planning, advising executives, supporting investment decisions, developing commercial opportunities and managing key partner and market relationships. Shu holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BBA in Finance from the University of Houston. When speaking Shu said, “I am excited to join the Bangladesh team, and I look forward to building on our 30-year partnership with the Government of Bangladesh and Petrobangla. I am committed to deepening that relationship to support the nation’s energy needs today and into the future, while benefiting our local communities through our investment in education, health and economic development programs. My family and I are excited to make Bangladesh our home.”  

At least 1,384 people were killed and 2,488 others injured in 1,849 road accidents across the capital between 2020 and July 2026, with pedestrians and motorcyclists accounting for more than 80 percent of the fatalities, according to Road Safety Foundation(RSF). The RSF data show that of those killed, 1,034 were men (74.71%), 219 women (15.82%) and 131 children (9.46%). Pedestrians remained the worst affected group, accounting for 592 deaths or 42.77 percent of the total fatalities. Another 536 motorcyclists (38.72%) lost their lives, while 256 drivers and passengers of buses, rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and other vehicles were killed. The analysis also found that road crashes were most frequent at night, when 519 people, or 37.5 percent of the victims, were killed. Morning hours claimed 258 lives (18.64%), followed by the afternoon with 195 deaths (14.08%), evening 174 (12.57%), dawn 142 (10.26%) and nightfall 96 (6.93%). Heavy vehicles, including trucks, covered vans, pickups, tankers and garbage trucks, were involved in 33.25 percent of the accidents, followed by motorcycles at 26 percent, buses at 21.75 percent, auto-rickshaws, CNG-run vehicles and legunas at 12.73 percent, and private cars, microbuses and jeeps at 6.25 percent. According to the analysis, the absence of bypass roads forces heavy goods vehicles to travel through the capital between 10pm and dawn, often at high speed, increasing the risk for pedestrians crossing roads. It also noted that prolonged traffic congestion contributes to impatience and aggressive driving behaviour, further raising the likelihood of crashes. The report attributed the high number of accidents to inadequate road capacity compared to the growing number of vehicles, the mixed movement of slow- and high-speed traffic on the same roads, encroached footpaths, poorly located or unusable footbridges and a lack of awareness among road users. Jatrabari, Demra, Mohammadpur, Kuril, Biswaroas and the Airport Road have been identified as major accident hotspots in the capital. The report recommended introducing company-based bus services through route rationalisation to improve discipline in the transport sector. It also called for stronger coordination among the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the two city corporations and traffic police to implement comprehensive road safety measures.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rains in all the divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Saturday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” Met office said. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over the North Bay.  

Visiting US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor on Saturday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The meeting began at 9:30am at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon, said PM's Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on Bangladesh-US bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, regional cooperation, and other issues of mutual interest.